Comments on: Having a baby changes everything

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:01:19 +0000

Congratulations!Lisa's last blog post..Cash For My Carpet

By: Marcy

Marcy — Thu, 15 May 2008 01:57:43 +0000

I agree with some of the other moms who have commented about spending $ on a lactation consultant if you do have issues. I had issues and it was the best money I ever spent as well!

As for laundry…if you do happen to move before baby and have the option of a washer/dryer in your apartment, I would HIGHLY recommend it b/c you will be doing a lot of laundry during the first few months. Who am I kidding..I am still doing a lot of laundry 2 years later! :)

I’m looking forward to reading about your journey! :)

Marcy’s last blog post..Works for me Wednesday:Buying Beef Locally & in Bulk

By: Carol

Carol — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:26:29 +0000

Congrats. Also look into WIC – do not know your income.

By: DecMeadow

DecMeadow — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:13:56 +0000

Congrats on becoming a new mom to be! My mother used cloth diapers for my little brother and we actually had a service that would pick up the soiled (she’d put them through rinse first) and then drop off new ones for a very low fee. It was awesome!

Don’t forget to look on Etsy for any baby finds! I found that the quality of their products go soooo much farther than those that can be found at stores sometimes!

Also, be a little stingy on how many clothes you want for baby. They’ll be growing out of them so quickly, sometimes they skip sizes! My new baby brother is an example for he went from 1-3 months right to 9-12 months in a matter of a week! A great way to do this is by cutting off the footsies of the full jumper pajamas that are available, self-hem them, and then invest in a pack of baby socks to cover their feet. It really works!

DecMeadow’s last blog post..MAY Goals

By: lgb

lgb — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:00:26 +0000

Congratulations! Since I’m not a mom…I can offer no suggestions – just sincere congratulations!

By: Mrs. Micah

Mrs. Micah — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:52:15 +0000

From what I can tell, when it comes to breast feeding, getting a pump (you can rent them, but buying might be less expensive…especially if it’s used but good) can be an excellent choice to avoid needing formula. That way Shane can take a turn if you’re exhausted or if you’re out and going to get home late.

Oh yeah, and again about the fees. I spend most of my hospital time in perinatal and there’s a lot of things which I’m not sure are covered in the general delivery (circ — though it’s not recommended, shots…)

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:01:38 +0000

Hey Kacie! Congrats!! Some tips to share with you…I was able to nurse for 10 months. My electric pump was $200 which more than paid for itself ( I pumped at work 2-3 times a day until the end). It saved SOO much $! In my breastfeeding class they said you could send a family of four to Disneyworld for the cost of formula for the 1st 6 months of a child’s life. (I didn’t talk to a lactation consultant, but I did take this class for $35, and the nurses were pretty helpful at the hospital) Some babies don’t take to it though, no matter what you’ll make it work!! If you don’t use cloth diapers, go for the store brands. In the beginning at least,you change them so often they work just as well. When we got to the point where he was sleeping through the night and didn’t need changed, we do use Pampers at night. They really do provide amazing leak protection. For an 8+ hour stretch at any rate. I got my clothes at garage sales and ebay – what I didn’t get as hand me downs from friends that is. I got a lot of toys as hand me downs too. Also, this store -Once Upon A Child – Rocks!!! We mostly buy his toys there and they are a great place to buy clothes as well. There is one in Monroeville and I think there are 1 or 2 other locations but not sure where. They buy/sell gently used clothes, and they make sure everything is in good condition before buying/selling. You absolutely should have the book What to Expect When you’re Expecting… It provided me with answers AFTER childbirth that the nurses had not. Make sure you sign up on all the websites also – Pampers, Huggies, Enfamil..If you do choose to use disposable diapers and formula, you will get loads of valuable coupons/checks and free samples!!! I also suggest you register at Babies R Us and somewhere economical like Walmart. I also jsut read about myregistry.com where you can register at any store. You should also get a free subscription to several magazines, at least for the first year, such as American Baby and Parents, to name two. Oh another cool thing to keep in my mind to save for….I gave birth at Magee. In December of 07 they sent me a letter for my 2 bills there and offered to settle for half the amount I owed if I paid them by December. Perhaps they try to clear their accounts at the end of the year? But that saved us several hundred dollars! Oh it’s so exciting!!!! Congratulations! Sorry for the long post. Moms just love to share and help other moms out!! :-) Best of luck!

By: paidtwice

paidtwice — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:38:57 +0000

I agree with watch out for extra fees from other hospital personell - like the anesthesiologist, that was billed separately for me. I *planned* to have a natural childbirth but my son disagreed, wrapped himself up in the cord and tried to suffocate himself, necessitating an emergency c-section.Babies aren't all that expensive. :) They get more expensive as they grow though, in my experience at least. My 18 month old daughter is still relatively cheap but my almost 4 year old costs us quite a bit now.paidtwice's last blog post..Teaching A Spender To Save ~ More Praise For The Emergency Fund

By: Deborah

Deborah — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:30:29 +0000

Word of warning on the medical costs. I had my first daughter in the US, with a midwife all naturally, but at a hospital. I was working at the time and had an incredible insurance policy (PPO) and a Flex Save. We too thought there would be very little leftover for us to pay out of pocket. Hah! They added charges left right and centre that the insurance did not cover.

If money is a concern a natural childbirth will keep costs down, no anesthesiologist fees, extra meds etc. Low intervention is safest for Mom, baby and the wallet! You also received some excellent breastfeeding advice. Read up on it in advance, I highly recommend anything by Jack Newman, MD over the LLL stuff. Breastfeeding can be tough for the first two or three weeks, but if you get the right advice and stick with it, you will make it work. It’s the most rewarding experience and again, financially smart! :)

If I were to do it all again I would have a homebirth (set rate with insurance), but obviously with an appartment that’s probably not an option!

I’m with you on the cloth diapers. Wanted to try it here in Ireland with DD2 but then I remembered the washing machine takes well over an hour to run without a pre-wash! :) No thanks! :)

Best of luck Kacie!

By: Nine Circles

Nine Circles — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:13:47 +0000

I’ve heard from some friends that using a diaper service can end up being at least comparable in cost to disposable diapers, and, of course, it’s better for the environment.